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Thursday, December 9, 2010

Southern Style Red Beans -n- Rice with Collard Greens

Warning: For lovers of hot things only.

Wayne M. Schafer used to work in a five star restaurant in Baltimore's Little Italy. Now he's making a name for himself with his Texas Style, Southern Style, and BBQ cuisine. This recipe is not for the mild at heart, but for those who like it hot, with some "heated" power, as Emeril would say.

RECIPE:Feeds four to six depending on if using as a side or as a full sized meal.

YOU WILL NEED: large stock pot, cutting board, knife, tongs, thermometer, wooden spoon, and the following....

INGREDIENTS:
1 bag red kidney beans
1 can of "seasoned" collard greens
1-2 lbs of hot sausage (links or rope, we like the original Ferrante Brothers of Baltimore, now owned by Hatfield)
2-3 cups of Rice (we used white, but prefer whole grain)
1 Large Can Diced or Stewed Tomatoes
Few tablespoons sugar
Hot Sauce to preference (we like it a wee hot, so 1/4 bottle will do), or, saute' down and add your own hot peppers (1/2 green bell and 1 small hot chile' pepper!)
Salt, Pepper

Pre-Cooking tip: It is suggested to soak your kidney beans overnight, but we didn't so this recipe takes about 1.5 hours, while entertaining your guests your kitchen will be smelling divine.

Fill a large sized stockpot half way with water. Toss in sausage and boil with your unsoaked beans (if you soaked them overnight add them at 30 minutes in*) The sausage will finish prior to the beans. remove when sausage is temping at 190 degrees and bursting open. Place on cutting board with tongs and prepare to cut into small wedges. We like bite size 1/2 nubs. The idea is to let the juices from the sausage flavor your water and your beans, so after you cut them, dump them back in. Time: 30 minutes in*

Let the beans ride another 30 minutes if you did not soak them. If you did, cut this time to 20 minutes. Now, add in your can of tomatoes, hot sauce, and a few tablespoons of sugar. Stir well to dissolve sugar completely. Your goal is to check the beans every 10 minutes or so, for significant amount of tenderness, but chances are you've lost a fair amount of water to the boil, so refill up the pot to half way with warm water. Once you again reach boiling temperature, you are now between 1 hour , and 1 hour 15 minutes in.

After your water starts to boil again, it's time to add the rice, stirring often with your wooden spoon. While the rice is still hard, add your canned collard greens, stirring in the juices. Your beans and rice should tenderize around the same time, and your base will go from watery to firm, at about 1 hour 35 to 45 minutes in. Remove from stove. Salt, pepper, or adjust hot sauce to taste and serve while hot.

TIP: Refrigerate after use in smaller portions to ensure proper cooling temperatures.NOTE: Use leftovers within 3-4 days due to collard greens!